What appeared to be a stretch golf cart waited to ferry them to the terminal, where regular-sized jets were landing. She doubted those bigger, sturdier vessels would get tossed around like they had making the hop from Houston to the island. But they probably didn’t have seats that could lay out flat, champagne service or a team of attendants offering hors d’ouevres.
Sammi’s hand curved around her waist, bringing her back into the moment. He’d been incredibly sympathetic to her nausea during the flight, even offering her some medicine to take care of it, but she’d declined the offer. With her mother as an example, Autumn avoided drugs like the plague. It wasn’t always a rational decision, but it was hers to make.
“I think I’m good,” she said, resisting the urge to shift her weight closer to him, but only barely.
“Come on, it’s still early.” He grinned at her, the picture of a handsome, healthy man.
“Is a nap scheduled in here at some point?” She knew the answer already.
“Afraid not.” Sammi slid his hand to her hip and snagged her other hand in his as they approached the last available row of seats.
Their fellow passengers avoided her, which was common. To the wealthy and privileged she appeared to be nothing more than an escort.
Well, screw them.
Today was her wedding day.
Autumn squeezed Sammi’s hand. He glanced at their fingers threaded together. It was impossible to read his expression behind the large aviator shades, but he seemed surprised.
During the flight Sammi had told her in plain language that he didn’t expect anything from her. At least not where sex was concerned. It simply was not part of their bargain. He’d basically promised to pay her to be his live-in friend. It was noble and unexpected, maybe a bit sweet, but terribly naïve.
They entered the terminal and the first thing Autumn saw was a man in a suit with a sign that read Mr. & The Future Mrs. Zimmerman.
“Holy shit.” Autumn clapped her hand over her mouth. Seeing it in print, it just ratcheted up her nerves.
I’m going to be sick…
Sammi laughed and extended his hand to the stoic sign holder. “Thanks for picking us up.”
“Not a problem, Mr. Zimmerman. The porter is seeing to your luggage. If you’ll follow me this way to the car?”
They made their way through the airport to where a limo waited for them. As if by magic, a man pushing a cart loaded with their bags rolled up at almost the same time. The driver opened the back door and Sammi handed her into the cool interior.
Autumn almost didn’t want to get into the limo. It was beautiful outside, if a little too warm, but it was almost a shame to get into the car. Still, she scooted across the rear seat, Sammi dropping in next to her. He extended his legs and let his arms flop on the seat. The way his head lolled to the side was how she felt after a full day’s work tattooing.
“Sammi?”
“Hm?”
“How you feeling?” She turned toward him and studied what she could see of his face. Maybe the lines around his mouth were deeper, his color a little green. Or maybe she was imagining it.
“I’ll be fine.” He sighed and stilled.
Sammi appeared to be healthy. It was easy to forget—he was dying.
Autumn patted his knee. “Why don’t we make an hour to take a nap?”
“Can’t. Have to find someone to do the ceremony.” He sounded so tired. Autumn hadn’t been concerned during the flight. With both of their attentions on keeping the contents of her stomach in place, she hadn’t thought about how Sammi was doing.
The driver got into the front of the limo and they pulled away, firmly on to an adventure neither would forget.
“Why don’t I do that?” she suggested.
How hard could it be to drum up a rabbi, photographer and a witness or two?
After a moment Sammi turned toward her and pushed his sunglasses up on his brow. His eyes were bloodshot and sleepy. “Is that too much to ask?”
“To get everything set up? No. I can do that.”
“Okay.” He dug his wallet out of the side pocket on his cargo shorts. “Here’s my credit card. I had you added to it so you should be able to use it without any trouble. And here’s five hundred in cash.” He produced the card and a wad of bills.
Autumn tried to keep her eyes from bulging out. “Wow.”
“Just get whoever is closest to the hotel for the ceremony. I don’t care if it’s a religious person or civil servant.” He shrugged and relaxed into the leather seats.
Sammi was Jewish. Autumn didn’t know a whole lot about Judaism, but she knew a few things. And a Jewish wedding needed a rabbi and some kind of canopy thing with a name that sounded like a sneeze.
“I’ll take care of it. You just get to feeling better.” Autumn slid the money into her tote and pressed a kiss to Sammi’s cheek.
It was going to be a very long day.
* * * * *
Sammi collapsed onto the plush couch in the living room of their suite. His legs and arms ached. Fear was an acid that ate at him from the inside out. Knowing this was how he would go out and accepting it were two very different things.
Autumn zoomed from room to room. She’d bounced back once they landed and now had the luggage in the bedroom. All he could hear was squealing. It brought a smile to his face that he could share this beautiful paradise with her. This only solidified his reasoning that she was the perfect companion for this last leg of life.
“Hey, I got you some water,” Autumn said quietly.
He cracked his eyes open and the world slowed to a stop. Something about the way the light caressed her tilted face, the fall of her hair over one shoulder and the tropical blossom stuck behind her ear. It stole his breath away.
“Sammi?” Autumn’s face scrunched and she pressed her hand to his brow. She’d put on her glasses after complaining the airplane air had dried out her contacts. Her chunky and colorful frames seemed like an extension of her. She wore them so rarely he often forgot she needed them.
“I’m good.” He wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her palm down to rest against his chest.
“Do you need anything else?” She crouched next to the couch, her hand stroking his chest.
We’re friends.
He needed to remember that.
It was going to be a bitch to keep things platonic now, but later when he was declining it would be easier.
“No thanks. You like the suite?”
“Like it? It’s amazing. I feel like I shouldn’t touch anything because I’ll get it dirty.” She grinned and he could have sworn birds were singing. It was fucking insane.
I can think of a few ways to dirty up the sheets.
“If it doesn’t get dirty you didn’t have any fun.” He winked and wanted to stuff the words back in his mouth.
“You’re so bad.” Autumn tossed her head back and laughed.
“Yeah, I know.” He kept his smile firmly in place but a little bit of him withered. He’d lived his life with the focus on enjoying himself, and he had. But at what cost?
“I’m going to go start getting things lined up for the wedding. Any other requests?” She leaned against the couch and curled her legs under, propping her chin on his knee.
Fuck me.
“No. Just you, me and someone to sign the license.”
“I’m on it.” She flashed a smile and rose to her feet.
I wish you were on it.
Sammi sighed and rubbed his head. He had to get himself under control. Now, not later. But first he just needed to rest for a few minutes.
This was going to be torture. Fucking torture.
He leaned his head back against the couch and slowly drifted off to sleep.
* * * * *
Autumn stood outside the suite door. The hallway was the same marble she’d seen throughout the resort. The walls the same white wainscot paneling and peach-colored wallpaper.
Everything looked the same.
> This was the tropics. There should be bursts of color, a riot of flowers, something that captured the eye.
Instead, she’d barely stepped out of her suite and was lost.
An adjacent door opened and a maid backed out, pulling a cart with her.
“Excuse me?” Autumn nearly grabbed hold of the woman and clung to her for dear life.
The woman turned to face her. “Yes ma’am?”
“Oh my goodness.” Autumn’s jaw dropped.
“Is something wrong?” The woman glanced around.
“No, sorry. You just have the most beautiful eyes. The color is stunning. Wow.” She resisted the urge to grab the woman’s face and hold her just so under the lighting to study the way the colors mingled to create a unique shade of tawny gold. Against her chocolate skin the effect was stunning. How was this woman not a model?
“Oh. Thank you.” The woman’s shoulders eased and she smiled.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but we just got here and I have no idea how to get downstairs. I’m supposed to be figuring out how to plan my wedding tonight and I can’t even find the elevator.” She shut her mouth with a click and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
Autumn, stop talking. You sound like an idiot.
“Getting married? Congratulations.” The woman put her hand on her hip and grinned. “Wait, did you say tonight?”
“Yeah, we’re kind of eloping.” Autumn’s nerves started to kick up. She was doing this. Really doing it. And there were fifty different details to iron out. Now!
“Oh honey, go downstairs.” The maid grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and began drawing a map. “The elevator is going to be a left and the second right. You have a corner suite so it’s the farthest you can get. Go downstairs, cut through the courtyard diagonally and you’ll hit the smaller customer service desk. There’s a woman named Marie. Ask for her and tell her Eleri told you so. She’s my cousin’s wife and can help you get it all squared away.”
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I could kiss you.” Autumn clutched the paper to her chest. She’d never have found it herself.
“Not a problem. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask. Enjoy your stay.” Eleri waved her off, dazzling her with another smile.
Autumn followed the instructions, clutching the paper with both hands, turning left at the first chance she got, which was another hall that looked just like the one she’d left behind. She walked for an age before finding her next turn that led almost immediately to the elevator.
“Good thing I’m not in a hurry or anything,” she muttered under her breath as she waited for the elevator.
She made it all the way to the first floor without mishap.
The lower level of the resort seemed to be built on open archways and colonnades open to the ocean breeze. The courtyard she was able to strike through on a direct path complete with signs pointing her to customer service was a mini tropical forest. Birds flitted overhead and blossoms perfumed the air with a fresh fragrance. It was almost a pity to leave the glass-domed courtyard behind for the indoors.
On her left, a long, mahogany counter separated Autumn from three uniformed staff. She had arrived at her destination!
Autumn sucked down a deep breath and marched up to the desk. A friendly-looking woman with cocoa skin and blonde-streaked hair in a bun glanced up.
“Hi, I’m looking for Marie,” Autumn said.
“I am Marie,” the woman said with some hesitation.
Luck.
She had it today.
“Hi, Marie. I met your cousin Eleri and she said you could help me.” Autumn set her clutch purse on the counter. The tote had been too much to haul around with her on these errands.
Marie shook her head. “I’m sorry, I cannot help you get a job here.”
“A job?” Autumn straightened and tried not to laugh.
“You can fill out an application online if you like.” It was clear by the way Marie kept her gaze on her computer and tapped the F and J keys repeatedly that she simply wanted Autumn to go away.
Why was it that everyone under the sun here thought she was anything except an honest vacationer? Okay, Eleri hadn’t, but she was special.
Autumn could envision herself turning around and fleeing to the farthest point possible and hiding there.
It was time to put on her big-girl panties. She needed help, and this poor woman had been volunteered for the job.
She sucked in a deep breath, pushed her glasses up yet again and tapped the desk to get Marie’s attention.
“I’m sorry, no, that’s not what I’m here about.” She laid her cardkey on the counter. “I’m actually a guest here. Staying in the North Star Suite with my fiancé.”
“Oh.” Marie’s eyes fluttered open wide. “I’m so sorry, ma’am.”
Yeah right. You got caught with your nose up in the air.
Autumn kept her smile firmly in place. “Accidents happen.”
“What can I do for you?” Marie folded her hands on the desk and gave Autumn her undivided attention. It was cute, in a grating way. Why shouldn’t Autumn command the same kind of service as another guest? Did the colors on her skin really matter that much?
Autumn shook it off. How people treated her didn’t matter so much as how she lived her life.
“My fiancé and I are eloping and want to get married tonight, around sunset on the beach. I have a list of things I need to figure out. Rabbi. Photographer. Makeup and hair. The whole nine yards, and I need a push in the right direction.”
Marie’s brows were trying to crawl off her face and her jaw seemed to have come unhinged. “Tonight?”
“Yeah, short notice I know.” Autumn leaned against the counter and shrugged. “Then again we’ve only been engaged for maybe forty-eight hours.”
“Okay.” Marie gave herself a little shake. “Do you have a list? Let’s see what the most difficult item is and work on that first.” She snapped her fingers at the other two customer service representatives who’d been listening to the unfolding drama. “I’m going to need your help.”
“Here you go. And thanks.” Autumn slid her hastily scrawled list to the woman. “I think the hardest thing to do will be to find a rabbi.”
“A Jewish rabbi?” Marie asked.
What other kind of rabbis are there?
Autumn kept her thoughts to herself.
“Yes, a Jewish one. Preferably.”
Marie grabbed the arm of the other female associate working with her. “Make the future Mrs. Zimmerman an appointment at the spa for two o’ clock, let the girls know she’ll need full wedding prep in half the time.” She pointed at the man. “Call Tony Reisz and see if he’s still on the island and will consider photographing the wedding.”
Autumn watched as all three picked up phones. It was as if she had her own personal wedding army, except none of them were wearing white.
Also, how had Marie figured out who she was so fast? The woman had mad skills.
“What can I do?” Autumn asked.
Marie tucked the phone receiver under her chin. “I’m calling the island’s tourist office. They have an excellent list of resources. Hopefully a rabbi will be on the list.” She switched her attention to the phone and repeated their needs to the person on the other end. Autumn breathed a sigh of relief when Marie began jotting down a name and number, then a second one.
“Thank you very much.” Marie hung up the phone, but despite her success she did not appear enthusiastic. “There are two rabbis on the island.”
“Great.”
Marie tapped the top of the paper. “I just want to warn you that I know this first man, and he’s not pleasant.”
“I don’t have to like him for him to do a ceremony, do I?” Autumn shrugged and dug out the prepaid cell Sammi had given her. They’d promised no contact with home until they got married, so the replacement phone was for organizational purposes only, besides communicating with Sammi.
She punched in the
phone number and listened to it ring.
And ring.
And ring.
And ring.
“No one’s answering,” she whispered to Marie.
Marie’s brow creased and the corners of her mouth turned down.
After twelve chimes Autumn hung the phone up and blew out a breath. Everything couldn’t fall into place on the first try. It just wasn’t natural. She jabbed in the second number and listened to it.
“Hello?” a female voice said on the other end of the line.
“Hi, I’m looking for Ezra Golden. Is he available?”
There was a pause. “Who is this?”
“He doesn’t know me. I’m a guest at a resort and my fiancé and I were wanting to get married during our trip. He’s Jewish—”
“My husband doesn’t perform weddings for anyone not part of our community.” The way the woman spoke made Autumn imagine her with her nose in the air.
Autumn curbed her initial desire to tell the woman to fall off a cliff and reminded herself that this was for Sammi. “Are you sure he wouldn’t reconsider? These are special circumstances, I promise. My fiancé, he’s—he’s dying and we want to get married as soon as possible.”
That gave Mrs. Snooty Pants pause. “I’m sorry, but no. Good luck to you.”
The line went dead.
“Oh my god.” Autumn rolled her eyes. “One no answer and one hard no.”
Marie stared at her, eyes gone large. For a moment she didn’t speak or move. She seemed to shake it off. “We could have the chaplain perform the service or call in one of the Christian churches. Their clergy are always willing to help.”
Autumn shook her head. “I have to try to get a rabbi.”
She dialed the first number a second time and crossed her fingers. Marie crossed both of hers and bit her lip.
“Hello?” a gruff voice said on the other end of the line.
“Hi. Hello. Um, I’m visiting the island with my fiancé and we were going to try to get married while we’re here. The hotel gave me your information because I was looking for a rabbi to perform the service.” She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed he’d help them out.
“Why the rush?” he asked, but from the tone he didn’t seem interested in her answer.
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